asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the total acreage on the Gold Coast devoted to the growing of lime trees and lime farms; whether there is any prospect of further extensions; whether a factory has been erected or is in course of erection; and whether information as to this development and the exporting of raw lime juice will be co-operatively transmitted to the lime-growing islands of the West Indies for their study and information?

Six hundred acres. The industry is not considered capable of any great expansion but a European firm proposes to erect a factory shortly. Copies of the Gold Coast Agricultural Department reports, which contain the latest information, are sent to the West Indies.

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information as to the forest resources of British Honduras and the probability of a serious drop in the revenue from depleted output; what steps, beyond reduction of staff, has been taken to mitigate the difficulty; and whether the Forest Trust has ample powers and machinery to take steps with a view to safeguarding the future timber resources of the Colony?

I am aware of the possibility that the exports of forest produce from British Honduras may decline in the course of the next few years. The anticipated decline is due to causes which the Government can do little to counteract. The Forest Trust has ample powers to safeguard the timber resources on Crown lands, but the greater part of the forest land is privately owned.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to give information as to the hurricane in the Bahamas and the steps and measures taken for relief, especially to the poorer sections of the population?

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the report which has now been received from the officer administering the Government in regard to the effects of the hurricane. The legislature has voted £71,000 for the restoration of public works, and £6,000 for the provision of housing for the poorer classes. A local relief fund has been opened, to which £100 has been contributed from Crown funds.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information as to the Pakaraima Diamond and Exploration Company, Limited, formed for diamond exploration in British Guiana; what is the nature of the concession granted; whether the work is to be done on Crown lands; whether the capital invested is British capital; and how many of the shares have been offered for local investment?

I have no information on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how many natives of Nigeria were tried and executed during the year of 1928 without being allowed to employ counsel in their defence?

In 1928 the number of persons executed after trial before Provincial and Native Courts was 60. But all persons charged with murder before a Provincial Court may apply to have the case transferred to the Supreme Court where counsel are allowed to appear.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether he will recommend to the Jamaican Government the desirability of saving the ruins of the Old King's House from further destruction and applying to its restoration some part of the insurance fund of £200,000, which it is understood is available, in view of the fact that this building is regarded by professional opinion as the finest example of Georgian architecture in the Western Hemisphere?

My Noble Friend has been in recent correspondence with the Governor of Jamaica on this subject. Sir Edward Stubbs states that there can be no question of restoration in the ordinary sense of the word. The walls of the house, which appear to have been very badly built in the first instance, are in such a state that it would be unsafe to make any use of them, and if anything were to be done to replace the old house it would be necessary to pull them down and to rebuild the structure from the ground up. On the information before him, my Noble Friend is not prepared to recommend the expenditure of over £20,000 on a building which would be substantially a new one and consequently of little historic interest, and for which he is informed no use could be found.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies how many Jews have been murdered by Arabs in Palestine since 15th September, and have any Arabs been murdered by Jews in the same period; in how many cases have the murderers been arrested; and whether police protection is now afforded to the Jews in the areas where these recent murders have taken place?

No, Sir. I am not in a position to give the particulars asked for, but I will inquire. I am satisfied that the Palestine Government is doing its utmost to afford adequate police protection to all law-abiding persons.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in regard to proposals for grants entertained by the Empire Marketing Board, he will inform the House of the number of proposals put forward on behalf of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, respectively, since the inception of the Board; and the number of proposals for grants approved by the Board, and the total amount involved in each case?

Four schemes have been officially submitted to the Board in the case of Canada, seven in the case of Australia, four in the case of New Zealand and one in the case of South Africa. These schemes have all been approved, the total commitments involved in the case of the four countries mentioned being, respectively, £8,300, £161,927, £37,933 and £65,000. Two other proposals, one from Canada and one from New Zealand, are at present under consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if the Journal of Dairy Research referred to in the Report of the Empire Marketing Board has yet been published; and if he will state what steps will be taken to see that this journal reaches those producers interested?

The first number of this journal, which is primarily designed to meet the needs of scientific workers, will appear towards the end of the present month. Arrangements have been made for bringing it to the notice of dairy research workers and others likely to be interested throughout the Empire.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to make widely known the favourable report as to the vitamin contents of cod liver oil, as the result of investigations by the Empire Marketing Board?

The Empire Marketing Board has not yet received the report upon these investigations, and I am therefore not in a position to say what steps may be found suitable for making the results known.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how many medical experts, as the result of organisational departmental changes, have visited and reported on particular Colonies; how many Colonies have been so visited; what special health and medical problems were investigated; and if any Reports based on these visits or investigations are available to Members of Parliament?

I am not clear as to what organisational departmental changes are in the mind of my hon. Friend, but I give the following list of visits to the Colonies by medical experts which have been arranged by the Colonial Office during the last few years:

Sir Wilfred Beveridge—Bahamas and other West Indian Islands.

Dr. A. E. Horn—Cyprus.

Dr. J. Hope Reford—Falkland Islands.

Dr. A. T. Stanton (Chief Medical Adviser to the Secretary of State)— Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia.

Lieut.-Colonel S. P. James—Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika.

The reports of Sir Wilfred Beveridge and Dr. Horn are available to any hon. Member who may desire to see them, and the report of Colonel James on his visit to East Africa, which was specially concerned with malarial problems, will be available shortly. In the other two cases no special report was issued.

I may add that a Commission of the League of Nations recently investigated the general health problems of the Western Pacific Islands, and it is understood that their report will be published shortly.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Rockefeller Foundation is still continuing in different Colonies, in cooperation with the colonial medical service, its investigations into yellow fever and also its malarial surveys; how many of the latter have been completed; and if any extension of the survey system is in contemplation?

Yes, Sir. I am happy to say that the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation is continuing to co-operate with the local Medical authorities in investigations into yellow fever in Nigeria and other West African Colonies. It is also cooperating in malarial surveys in various West Indian and Western Pacific Islands and in Palestine and this work is still proceeding. I hope that it will be possible to extend the system of malarial surveys in co-operation with this organisation as opportunity offers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the special International Commission on sleeping sickness is still continuing its investigations in Uganda; whether any Report has been received or issued; what are the names of the present members of the Commission; and what is the total staff working under that Commission?

The International Sleeping Sickness Commission appointed by the League of Nations for work in Uganda completed its labours in June, 1927, and its final report was published by the League in March, 1928. The latter part of the question does not therefore arise. I may state that an International Conference held in Paris a year ago to review the Commission's work approved the principle that the lines of investigation opened up by the Commission should be followed up by the Governments concerned, with their own resources. Special organisations are now investigating problems in connection with sleeping sickness not only in Uganda, but in the Tanganyika Territory, Nyasaland, Nigeria and the Gold Coast.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if the Government of Gambia, British West Africa, is giving any facilities allowing the workers to organise in trade unions?

I have no reason to suppose that the Colonial Government have any objection to workers joining a trade union.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies when the order to suppress the newspaper Hojas Libres is to terminate; and under what authority the chief of police and the Secretary of State for the Colonies acted when confiscating this newspaper at Gibraltar?

The Governor of Gibraltar is being asked for a report on the first point. As regards the second, my information is that action was taken by the local authorities in accordance with the law of the Colony.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that Mr. Harry Thuku was arrested in March, 1922 at Nairobi, in Kenya, and imprisoned; that, in consequence of a demonstration by the native population outside the prison, Mr. Thuku was deported to the coast; that he has been detained ever since without trial; if he will say for what reason he was originally arrested; and whether instructions may be issued for him either to be tried or forthwith released?

The circumstances in which Harry Thuku was deported from the Kikuyu Reserve to the coast are set out fully in Command Paper 1691 published in May, 1922. He was subsequently permitted to move to Marsabit. He is not imprisoned; but while allowed freedom of action and correspondence, he has not yet been permitted to return to the Kikuyu Reserve. My Noble Friend is already in consultation with the Governor of Kenya with regard to the case.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state the number and strength of the local volunteers in the different islands of the British West Indies under the recent Volunteer Ordinances, together with the estimates of the approximate cost to each Colony; and whether he has any information as to the existence of local volunteer forces in the French and American islands?

A statement will be prepared and sent to my hon. Friend, giving so much of the information asked for in the first part of his question as is desirable in the public interest. The second portion of the question should be addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to state the estimated cost of giving effect to the recommendations of the Sea Communications Committee on Tobago's sea communications; whether he is aware that this Report was presented seven months ago; whether he now has further information as to the permanency or otherwise of the service of the Canadian main-line steamers; and whether he will give an undertaking to ensure that Tobago, through its port of Scarborough, and in view of its rapidly increasing trade, will have adequate sea communications with the outside world?

The answer to the first and third portions of my hon. Friend's question is in the negative, and that to the second portion in the affirmative. My Noble Friend expects to receive from the officer administering the Government of Trinidad definite information as to the cost of adopting the recommendations made by the Tobago Sea Communications Committee as soon as it is available. Until this information is before him, it would clearly not be practicable to give any undertaking.

asked the Post-master-General if he can state the number and names of parishes and villages in the South-Eastern area of Scotland where new telephone exchanges or call-office facilities have been installed during the years 1928 and 1929 to date, respectively; and in how many cases such new exchanges or call-offices are now under consideration?

I regret that the particulars required are not available in the form desired, and considerable labour would be necessary to prepare the information. The following information is in respect of the Edinburgh telephone district, which corresponds roughly to the South-Eastern area of Scotland:

New Rural Exchanges opened:

Fossoway and Meikleour in 1928.

Bridge of Cally in 1929.

Five new rural automatic exchanges have been authorised at Boarhills (St. Andrews), Luthrie, Morham, Roslin, and Steele Road (Hawick). The number of rural call offices increased by 29 during the year ending September, 1928, and by 54 in the year ending September, 1929.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can state the number of robberies that have taken place from mail bags in transit in the United Kingdom for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; in how many cases were these robberies reported to Scotland Yard within 24 hours of their occurrence; and has he any statistics that will show the approximate amount of losses incurred in these robberies?

During the 12 months ended the 30th September, 1929, 65 mail bags were stolen or tampered with in course of transit. Five of these cases were reported to Scotland Yard within 24 hours. The remaining cases were brought to the notice of the police authorities concerned. The amount of compensation paid by the Post Office in respect of these losses was approximately £360.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that for six months past at the Western Central District Post Office, New Oxford Street, there has been interference with the correspondence addressed to certain mail-order houses and suppression of letters containing Treasury notes, and that in the case of one firm alone over 126 of such cases have occurred in that period; and what steps he is taking to prevent the continuance of the tampering with these letters and the theft of Treasury notes therein contained?

During the last six months three postmen employed in the Western Central District Post Office have been prosecuted to conviction for theft from the post I regret these losses; but I wish to point out that the proper means of transmitting bank or currency notes is by registered post and any other method can only be employed at the sender's risk. The public are warned by special notices at all post offices against the practice.

asked the Postmaster-General the total income from licences to the British Broadcasting Corporation, and the total expenditure?

The latest available figures are for the year 1928 and are shown in the British Broadcasting Corporation's. Report for that year (Command Paper No. 3324). The Corporation's total expenditure during 1928, including provision for depreciation, was £879,324 6s. 2d., and their total income was £1,002,505 10s. 3d., of which sum £871,763 16s. 9d. was in respect of wireless licences.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has any information showing what is the approximate annual revenue in pounds sterling which is derived by foreign Governments, by Dominion Governments, and by Colonial Governments from the taxation of imports received from Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

I regret that sufficient information is not available to enable me to give the particulars for which the hon. Member asks.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has made, or intends making, any representations of a friendly nature to the German Government concerning the effect on British agriculture resulting from the present German bounties on the export of wheat and oats?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade on 4th November, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce legislation strengthening the position of auditors and extending their duties in connection with their official work?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether His Majesty's Government proposes to make any contribution to the fund for the assistance of the Scottish herring fishermen?

My right hon. Friend is not in a position to add to the statement which he made in the House on Monday in reply to a supplementary question.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in the investigation by the Scottish Society for research in plant breeding as to virus disease in potatoes as a result of a grant made by the Empire Marketing Board?

Arrangements have been made for the carrying out of field and laboratory investigations into virus disease in potatoes at three centres in Scotland. Land has been secured and the erection of new laboratories and other buildings is almost completed. Some difficulty was experienced in obtaining suitably qualified scientific workers but the Society have now made two appointments and research work will begin at an early date.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the difficulty which local authorities are experiencing in obtaining land suitable for aerodromes, the Government will consider the question of granting them compulsory powers?

This question is under consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he wilt consider the advisability of arranging the flight of airship R 101 on a day when the House is sitting, as being possibly more convenient for Members generally than a Saturday?

A Saturday was selected for the convenience of Members, as the general consensus of opinion seemed to be that a day on which the House was sitting would debar from taking part in. the flight a majority of those desirous of so doing. In these circumstances my Noble Friend does not consider it would be advisable to change to another day of the week.

asked the Home Secretary the number of persons killed or fatally injured on the roads of Great Britain during the years 1926, 1927, 1928, and to the latest date for which figures are available in 1929?

The number of persons killed or fatally injured in street accidents caused by vehicles or horses in Great Britain were: In 1926, 4,886; in 1927, 5,329; and in 1928, 6,138. No figures for 1929 are as yet available.

asked the President of the Board of Education at what age it is proposed to grant maintenance allowances to pupils attending the new senior schools; and whether such maintenance allowances will be available for all pupils whether attending a senior school or a secondary school, under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act, 1889?

I would ask the hon. Member to await the general statement on this subject which I have undertaken to make when I introduce the Bill for raising the school-leaving age.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in framing his proposals to raise the school age to 15, he has considered the position of Wales with its system of secondary schools under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act, 1889; and whether it will be necessary to provide a senior school building in an area now served by a secondary school?

The special position of Wales under the Welsh Inter- mediate Education Act has not been overlooked, but I cannot usefully make any general statement covering every variety of case.

asked the First Commissioner of Works if he is aware that at the present time night watchmen are being employed by contractors in the city of Glasgow who are carrying out Government contracts for a wage of 35s. weekly for a week of 123 hours, including Sunday work; and if he will take steps to have the position improved both as to present contracts and future work?

I am causing inquiries to be made as to the questions raised by my hon. Friend, and will communicate with him later.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether, in view of the historical interest of Offa's Dyke, steps can be taken to have this traced and preserved as a national memorial?

A detailed survey of Offa's Dyke is being conducted by a competent archaeologist. Parts of the Dyke are already scheduled under the Ancient Monuments Act, and the remainder will be dealt with in due course.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he will cause an indicator to be placed in the tea room?

I regret that I do not consider the provision of an annunciator in this room is justified, in view of the expense involved.

asked the First Commissioner of Works what is being done and which Department is concerned in regard to the large block of Government ground-floor offices at the corner of Dorset and Baker streets. Marylebone, and which have been empty some time?

The ground floor offices at the corner of Dorset and Baker streets were vacated last June by the Imperial War Graves Commission on reduction of staff, and steps are being taken to dispose of my Department's interest therein.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that his Department is the only service Department which employs men who are not trained pharmacists for the dispensing of medicines; and, seeing that such men could not be employed to dispense for the civil population under the National Health Insurance Act and are not employed by the Admiralty or Air Force, will he look into the matter?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. Although some pharmacists are employed under the Admiralty on this duty, all three Service Departments employ dispensers who are not pharmacists but who are trained as dispensers and carry out their duties under the general supervision of medical officers. I am advised, so far as the Army is concerned, that the present arrangements are satisfactory.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of officers of the Excise Department who were employed in artificial silk factories in Great Britain during October and November, 1929?

The number of officers of Customs and Excise employed solely in artificial silk factories is 32. The remainder of the work in connection with the duties on artificial silk is performed by officers on a part-time basis in conjunction with their other duties.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the statement he made at the time of the signature of the Optional Clause of the statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice at Geneva in September was made after consultation with the Dominions' representatives and may be taken as representing their view?

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the statement which I made in explanation of the declaration of acceptance of the Optional Clause on behalf of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Dominion representatives were not consulted as to the precise wording of the explanatory statement, but full discussion took place with regard to the terms of the declaration itself. It was emphasised in the statement that I was speaking only on behalf of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the views widely expressed at the League of Nations assembly at Geneva in September in favour of making the international bank as universal in character as possible, as well as in some measure subject to representative world opinion; and whether he will bear this in mind when considering the statutes of the bank as recently drawn up at the Baden Baden Conference?

All relevant considerations will be borne in mind when the Report of the Organisation Committee of the Bank is under examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any information as to whether a date has been fixed for the meeting of the committee of inquiry into intellectual cooperation; and who are the members of that committee?

I have as yet received no intimation as to the date of the first meeting, or as to the composition of the committee, but I am making inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will instruct His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington to make inquiries as to the position of negotiations which have been opened by the International Committee of Bankers with the Mexican Government for the purpose of inducing that Government to terminate the default upon Mexican Government bonds which has now been in existence for 15 years?

His Majesty's Government will no doubt receive direct from the British representatives on the International Committee of Bankers information as to any development in the negotiations between them and the Mexican Government to which the Committee may desire to draw the attention of His Majesty's Government. I feel sure that the hon. Member would not desire me to request His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington to endeavour to obtain any information, the publication of which might have a prejudicial effect on these negotiations. In any case His Majesty's Government would not be in a position to intervene in the negotiations except at the request of the duly qualified agents of the bondholders, and in these circumstances it would not appear that any good purpose would be served by the suggested instructions to His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a manifesto addressed to the native peoples of India by the Communist International has been brought to his notice; in view of the close connection between this body and the Soviet Government, will he take the necessary steps to ascertain whether the Soviet Government accept responsibility for this form of propaganda; and will the Government undertake not to send an Ambassador to Moscow until the agreement as to propaganda is honoured?

I have seen the Press accounts of the manifesto in question. The attitude of His Majesty's Government on the question of foreign propaganda has already been made clear and I have nothing to add to the answers which I gave on the 18th November to numerous questions and supplementary questions. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state which of the 33 recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Allotments, dated 10th January, 1922, are now in force?

Of the recommendations referred to those numbered (xvi), (xix), (xxiii), (xxxi), (xxxii) and (xxxiii) relate exclusively to Scotland, and the hon. Member should address his inquiry concerning them to the Secretary for Scotland. As regards the remaining 27 recommendations, legislative effect has been given, either wholly or partly, by the Allotments Acts, 1922 and 1925, to all except those numbered (ii), (v) and (xiv).

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the unprecedented destruction of fish in the River Witham which occurred last week; whether he is aware that the river, which has afforded sport to many thousands of anglers, will for some years be almost useless for that purpose; whether he is aware that the effluent of the Bardney sugar-beet factory was the cause of this destruction; and whether he proposes to inquire into the matter?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. My right hon. Friend is aware that very serious damage has been done to the local fisheries. With regard to the third and fourth parts of the question, my right hon. Friend has made inquiries, but, as it is understood that proceedings will be taken against the owners of the factory by the Lincolnshire Rivers Fishery Board, my right hon. Friend is not prepared to anticipate the findings of the court as to the cause of the damage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the total amount advanced to farmers up to the 31st October, 1929, by the Land Mortgage Corporation, established under the Agricultural Credits Act, 1928?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a question by the hon. Member for Holderness (Mr. Savery), which was circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 4th November. I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the great press of business upon the Treasury, he will consider appointing a full-time controller of finance?

No, Sir. I do not propose to add a third controllership to the Treasury establishment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state the number of people who draw £50 per annum from interest in the War Loan; the number who draw between £50 and £100 per annum; the number who draw between £100 and £500 per annum; the total amount drawn by persons or companies in the latter category; the number of persons or companies drawing an annual interest of £1,000; and the total amount paid annually to such persons or companies?

The number of accounts of registered and inscribed 5 per cent. War Stock is approximately 2,825,000; and these are estimated to be distributed as follows: Holdings of under £1,000, 2,501,000; holdings of £l,000, 47,000; holdings of over £1,000 and not exceeding £2,000, 150,000; holdings of over £2,000 and not exceeding £10,000, 110,000; holdings of over £10,000 and not exceeding £20,000, 11,000; and holdings of over £20,000, 6,000. How many individual holders are represented by these holdings it is impossible to say. It would take considerable time and labour to calculate how much dividend is actually drawn by any of these classes, and I should prefer not to give a possibly misleading estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can make a statement as to the Government's policy concerning the claim of the German Government for the unconditional return to it of German private property confiscated during the War and which remains unliquidated?

In view of the misleading propaganda which is being carried on and the misunderstanding which appears to exist, I propose, with the leave of the House, to make a general statement of the position of His Majesty's Government in this matter to-morrow.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the recommendation made by the Royal Commission on National Museums and Galleries in their Report issued in September last to the effect that the experiment of evening opening on two evenings a week should be tried at certain national museums, he can state whether the Government propose to put this recommendation into operation?

The recommendations of the Royal Commission on this subject are under consideration and I hope that a decision will be reached very shortly.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the number of industrial policies which lapsed in industrial assurance companies during 1926, 1927 and 1928, respectively?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the fact that the road surface of the Outer Circle, Regent's Park, is at places in such a condition as to be highly dangerous to motor vehicles; and whether he will take immediate steps to have this road adequately repaired?

I will have inquiries made into the matter to which the hon. Member has drawn attention.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the collieries are insisting on receiving by way of credit notes the actual amounts of railway freight rebates payable to the timber trade under the de-rating scheme who, as senders of the traffic, pay the freight accounts, and that this practice is reacting more harshly upon the home timber trade, whose traffic it was intended most to benefit, by reason of the much longer distances over which the home traffic passes to the collieries; that, owing to the fact that the freights are paid by the timber merchants, they are involved in heavy expenses of collection and considerable inconvenience and receive no benefit, but, on the contrary, suffer loss from the rating relief, which is retained by the collieries for themselves; whether, in view of the undertaking given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the late Government in his Budget speech in 1928 to the effect that four-fifths of the relief would be concentrated amongst industries of which mining timber was one, he will take steps to control the participation in rating relief for the timber industry by a statutory Order, Regulation, or legislation; and whether, if he finds himself unable to remedy the grievance in any of the methods suggested, he will take such steps as may be necessary to terminate the rating relief granted to the timber trade?

The Railway Freight Rebates Scheme provides that a rebate shall be allowed to any person against whom a carriage charge is made by the railway company in respect of any of the selected traffics. The scheme was settled by the Railway Rates Tribunal after a public hearing and I have no power to vary it. I may say, however, that during the operation of the Anticipation Scheme neither the Government nor their predecessors deemed it desirable or practicable to attempt to control the ultimate distribution of the amount of the rebate among the producers and consumers interested in the traffics concerned. The traffics to which the scheme applies are prescribed in the Eleventh Schedule to the Local Government Act and can only be varied by future legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the danger resulting from the practice of leaving cars on the wrong side of roads in the country with their lights on; and whether he will take steps to make this practice illegal?

I have under consideration the inclusion in the proposed Road Traffic Bill of a provision making it an offence to leave a vehicle in a position dangerous to other traffic using the road.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the warning lights and signals at the Radway Green railway level crossing on the Crewe-Alsager road are inadequate; that, on account of the crossing gates being situate at a hairpin bend, such warning lights as are exposed are not discernable at a reasonable distance by motorists proceeding from the direction of Crewe; and whether, in regard to greater public safety, he will compel the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company to provide more adequate warning signals both by day and night at such point?

I am not aware of the circumstances referred to, but I am making inquiries and will let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the Minister of Transport if the road motor vehicle warranted to carry 110 tons, recently exhibited at the Olympia, will only be allowed to travel on the road at his discretion; and whether, before such discretion is exercised, those local authorities through whose areas it is proposed that the vehicle shall pass will be consulted?

I have no discretionary power in the matter. I would, however, refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 13th November to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for the Gainsborough Division (Captain Crookshank), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether it is the intention of the Government to call a conference of all those interested in the development of canals and rivers, with a view to effective action being taken on a national scale?

I have already conferred with representatives of canal authorities with regard to the steps which might be taken for the economic development of canals, and it is not my intention at present to arrange a further conference. I shall, of course, give careful consideration to any particular proposals on the subject which may be submitted to me.

asked the Minister of Transport if since June he has issued any advice to local authorities in favour of the employment of British stone, where possible, on road construction; and what the effect of this advice, if issued, is?

I have issued no new circular to local authorities on this subject, but, as I explained to the hon. Member on the 29th October last, the use of British materials is a condition of all grants to highway authorities made from the Road Fund at rates above the normal, on the ground that the works to which they apply have been expedited for the relief of unemployment. Even where this condition does not apply, my Department continues to exert its influence in the same direction and, I think, with beneficial results.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of including Cannock Chase in the list of those areas suitable for establishment as national parks?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which was given on Thursday, 31st October, in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for the Forest of Dean (Mr. Vaughan).

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the value of the Government property lost by defalcations, for which three men of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps were recently convicted at Wiesbaden; and over what period of time such defalcations had continued?

An official report has not yet been received, but I understand that all the Government property was recovered.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the present aggregate tonnage of 10,000 ton cruisers, other cruisers, built, building, and authorised, in the navies of Great Britain and the United States of America respectively?

Following is the answer:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why flotilla leaders and certain destroyers in the Mediterranean are being supplied with a heavier patterned type anchor; whether it is intended to remove the seamen's washbowls to compensate for the additional weight; and, if so, whether he will consider the removal of other fittings instead of the men's washbowls, which are very necessary in these vessels?

Experience has shown that it is necessary for leaders and destroyers of certain classes to be provided with heavier anchors to ensure safety when at anchor in bad weather. There is no foundation for the report that the seamen's washbowls are being removed to compensate for the additional weight, which is, in fact, small and will not necessitate any alteration to ships' fittings.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the total amounts paid in wages to men employed in ship construction and ship repairing, respectively, in the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham during the months of May and October respectively of the present year?

The wages paid to the Vote 8 workmen at Chatham during the months of May and October, 1929, respectively amounted to £95,790 and £88,595, made up approximately as follows:

asked the Minister of Labour what has been the total number of those disallowed benefit on the ground of not genuinely seeking work in the last 12 months; and what proportion of these she anticipates will draw benefit under the definition in the new Bill?

During the 12 months ended 14th October, 1929, 362,594 claims in total were disallowed by Insurance Officers or by Courts of Referees on review, subject to the usual rights of appeal. As regards the second part of the question, I should point out that the "genuinely seeking work" condition is repealed by the Bill. Certain other conditions are contained in Clause 4 (2) and while I cannot say precisely what the numerical effect of this clause will be, my right hon. Friend certainly intends it to remove all the cases of hardship which have occurred in the past in this connection.

asked the Minister of Labour what, at the last date for which figures are available, was the amount of unemployment insurance benefit paid out weekly; and how far was the total distributed among men, women, young persons of either sex, and dependants of various classes, respectively?

The last date for which detailed figures of unemployment benefit are available is the 2nd November, 1929. During the week ended on that date, the benefit paid at Local Offices of the Ministry was divided as follows:

No figures are available of the actual amount paid in respect of dependants during that week. The number of claims on which dependants benefit was paid was 407,788 and it is estimated that the amount paid was about £109,000 in respect of adult dependants and £50,500 in respect of dependent children. These amounts are included in the total of £820,182, but that figure does not include payments in lieu of unemployment benefit made by Associations during the weeks in question which amounted to £36,867 and the payments made by Local Education Authorities to juveniles amounting to £1,244.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will issue a White Paper giving particulars of the Government's specific proposals, if any, for providing alternative employment for men who may be discharged by reason of the suggested reduction of naval armaments?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave on the 31st October to the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Wight (Captain P. Macdonald) and to that given by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty on the 4th November to the hon. Member for Devonport (Mr. Hore-Belisha). The question of issuing a White Paper does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the financial effects of the Unemployment Insurance Bill on the different classes of contributor, namely, how much those from 15 to 16 years of age pay in contributions and what benefit it is estimated they will receive, and similarly for the other classes of contributor, males and females being shown separately?

This information in the case of boys and girls aged 15, taken together, is given in the memorandum prefixed to the Bill and in the Government Actuary's Report. I do not know what degree of sub-division the hon. Member has in mind when he speaks of other classes of contributors, but if he will let me know more precisely what information he wishes to have I will see whether I can supply it.

asked the Minister of Labour the reason why permission to enter this country was granted to certain German workmen who are employed in erecting a brick-making plant at Sittingbourne; and whether she was satisfied, before such permission was granted, that there were no British workmen capable of undertaking this work?

A British firm of brick manufacturers are, with my right hon. Friend's permission, at present utilising for a limited period the service of one employé only of a German firm to supervise the erection at Sittingbourne of certain plant and machinery supplied by the German firm. I am informed that there is not available in this country a skilled erector acquainted with this particular type of machinery, of which the German firm are the sole manufacturers.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the annual contribution made during 1928–29 in respect of housing schemes in England and Wales under the Housing Acts of 1919, 1923, 1924, and 1926, the number of houses in each case in respect of which subsidy was paid, including houses reconditioned under the last Act?

The amount of the Exchequer contributions paid during the year ended 31st March, 1929, and the numbers of houses in respect of which contributions were payable at that date under the Housing Acts named are as follow:

In addition, 7,953 houses had been completed under slum clearance schemes at 31st March, 1929, with financial assistance under the 1919 and 1923 Acts. Exchequer contributions in respect of these are included in the figures given above.